During an illness or infection your body releases more glucose into your blood stream to help fight the illness. This release of glucose makes it more difficult to manage your blood glucose levels – not what you need when you are already feeling unwell.

If you have Type 1 diabetes, it may be advisable to follow any high blood glucose results with a test for ketones

Keep yourself well hydrated with sugar-free fluids

Keep eating – you may not feel liking eating proper meals but try to have small amounts of food if you can or have carbohydrate containing drinks instead of meals

Keep taking your all your diabetes medication including your insulin

And finally - if you manage your insulin doses yourself, be careful with how much insulin you take at this time. If you are unsure about how much to take, contact your healthcare professional. If you are finding it difficult to cope, if your blood glucose or ketone levels are rising too high or very quickly, it is also best to contact your healthcare professional for advice.*

FreeStyle Libre

Flash Glucose Monitoring System

Why prick when you can scan?1

*1. Scanning the sensor to obtain glucose values does not require lancets 2.
A finger prick test using a blood glucose meter is required during times of rapidly changing glucose
levels when interstitial fluid glucose levels may not accurately reflect blood glucose levels, or if
hypoglycemia or impending hypoglycemia is reported but the symptoms do not match the system readings.×

This is the UK Abbott Diabetes Care website

If you'd like to see country-specific content relevant to you, please visit our list of global websites, or...